OU Day Celebrated at Tsinghua University

CEES faculty members David Sabatini, Robert Nairn, Yang Hong and Naiyu Wang represented CEES as part of an OU delegation to Tsinghua University (Beijing, China) led by VPR Kelvin Droegemeier.   Faculty from OU Microbiology and Plant Biology, and Meteorology were also present.  June 9 was declared "OU day" on the Tsinghua campus and included a full day of research presentations by OU and Tsinghua faculty as well as a ceremonial signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the universities to facilitate scholarly collaboration.  Further discussions identified several areas of mutual strength in the Environmental Sciences and developed preliminary plans for more formal research partnerships, student and faculty exchanges, and establishment of an OU presence in Beijing. 

Soltani Receives Nancy L. Mergler Dissertation Completion Fellowship

CEES doctoral student Hoda Soltani was recently selected as one of seven recipients of the inaugural Nancy L. Mergler Dissertation Completion Fellowship for the 2015-2016 academic year.

Soltani’s research is guided under the direction of professor "Muralee" Muraleetharan and concerns analysis, modeling, and prediction of the lateral response of single piles in soft clay where the top layers of the soil have been improved by cement deep soil mixing. In the future, this work has the potential to lead to more cost effective and safer design of pile-supported structures in weak soils. It can also be applied in retrofitting of older buildings and bridges. After graduation, she plans to seek a full-time position in industry or academia where she can continue working on assessment of the existing structures and ways of enhancing their performance against earthquake or other vibration-induced excitations.

Benjamin Toms Receives Astronaut Scholarship Foundation Award

Benjamin Toms, a double major in civil engineering and meteorology, was awarded a prestigious Astronaut Scholarship Foundation scholarship in June.  Nominated by CEES director Randall Kolar and CEES professor Yang Hong, Toms becomes the 10th recipient from the University of Oklahoma since the program inception in 1979.

Founded by the Mercury 7 astronauts and chaired by astronauts from the Apollo and Gemini missions, the prestigious ASF scholarship is currently the largest merit based undergraduate scholarship competitive for all STEM majors in the United States.  Thirty-eight students nationwide were recognized this year for their ingenuity in research and excellence in coursework.

Toms, a senior from Aurora, CO, is spending the summer working on two projects, one with  David Turner of the National Severe Storms Laboratory Forecast Research and Development Division researching the environment of convective precipitation during the nighttime. The second project is with Pierre Kirstetter, research scientist with the National Weather Center (Advanced Radar Research Center) and adjunct faculty member in CEES,  to place a mobile X-band radar within the Rio Grande National Forest in southern Colorado. His future plans include obtaining a Ph.D. in hydrometeorology and conducting research on terrestrial hydrometeorology while teaching at the university level.

David Sabatini Joins OU Team in Uganda and Rwanda

OU Team and Hosts

CEES Professor and WaTER Center Director David Sabatini joined an interdisciplinary team of OU colleagues on an exploratory trip to Gulu, Uganda and Kigali, Rwanda in April.  The team consisted of representatives from the colleges of Architecture, Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Engineering, International Studies and Medicine and the Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth. Sabatini represented CEES, the WaTER Center and the College of Engineering

The first objective of the trip was to explore options for interdisciplinary service learning projects at St. Monica’s Vocational School in Gulu while also connecting with the local university, local water companies and area NGO’s.  The second objective, while in Kigali, was to explore similar project opportunities with representatives of the local university, NGO’s and government organizations.

The group was hosted by 2014 TIME 100 Most Influential and 2007 CNN Hero Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe and the Saint Monica’s Vocational School in Gulu, which is a six hour van ride north of the capital of Kampala.  Potential projects identified while at St Monica’s include a master plan for the school that would include water and sanitation facilities with a water/sanitation/health kiosk built into an exterior wall that would also serve the community, as well as solar and biofuel potential.  The team also visited Atiak, about an hour north of Gulu, to explore potential water and sanitation projects where Sister Rosemary is establishing a new school. 

Sabatini and Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe

After five days in Gulu, four team members traveled on to Kigali where they visited with representatives from Bridge2Rwanda, a training program to assist high school graduates that want to attend college in the US; several University of Rwanda faculty members from engineering, architecture and business; native Rwandan graduates of Oklahoma Christian College that have returned to their homeland to pursue their careers; a sanitation/biofuel startup installation initiated by a UC-Berkley graduate; an architecture firm designing learning/health centers in rural villages; the Minister of Infrastructure; and the Water/Sanitation Corporation.  Many needs and opportunities for water and sanitation initiatives were identified.  Certain elements look more advanced such as roads and businesses but others show that great needs still exist in such basic areas as wastewater treatment and availability of drinking water. 

David Sabatini

While in Kigali, the team also took the opportunity to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre and ate dinner at Hotel Des Mille Collines, the hotel featured in the movie Hotel Rwanda.

"The trip was very illuminating", said Sabatini. "Representatives in both countries expressed great interest in collaborating with OU, and the team identified many opportunities to engage our students in service learning opportunities while also meeting needs and advancing development in these countries through capacity building, student/faculty exchanges and training courses among others."  The OU team is in the process of evaluating the range of opportunities and developing a plan for next steps.   

Stay tuned!

Austin Messerli Named 2015 Outstanding Senior in Civil Engineering

Austin Messerli of Norman, Oklahoma was named the 2015 Outstanding Senior in Civil Engineering.  Messerli grew up in Norman and graduated from Norman North High School in 2007. He played both basketball and baseball, participating in multiple state tournaments in both sports. Messerli earned both academic and athletic scholarships to attend Oklahoma City University, where he was the first graduate with a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Studies and also played for two baseball national championships. While at OU, Messerli was an active member of Chi Epsilon and served as the 2014-2015 president of the ASCE student chapter.  After graduation, Messerli plans to work under the guidance of Dr. Jeffery Volz in pursuit of his Master's degree, and will continue to work for Garver. 

Jessica Johnston Named 2015 Outstanding Senior in Environmental Engineering

Jessica Johnston of Ponca City, Oklahoma was named the Outstanding Senior of 2015 in Environmental Engineering.  “I chose environmental engineering as my major in order to combine my love of math, science, and protecting the environment.”  While at OU Johnston has been the Secretary of Chi Epsilon, the Civil Engineering Honor Society, as well as a member of Tau Beta Pi, Phi Kappa Phi, Sooners Without Borders, and the OU Cube Club. She also was the recipient of the Oklahoma Regents, Jimmy F. Harp, Joakim G. Laguros, and Guy Bradford Treat Scholarships. Johnston also volunteered at Manos Juntas, a free health clinic in Oklahoma City, as well as Angel Food Ministries in Norman.  She enjoys playing clarinet and piano, backpacking, archery, and occasionally sword fighting and acting on the human chessboard at the Norman Medieval Faire. After graduation, Johnston will attend UC Berkeley in California for graduate school where she will continue studying environmental engineering.